Access to Water in the Context of COVID-19: Challenges and Policy Recommendations

Intensifying climate change, habitat destruction driven by urbanization, deforestation, industrial agriculture, mining, energy and infrastructure development, and the growing exploitation of wildlife create conditions that enable diseases to pass from wildlife to humans. These pressures contribute to outbreaks such as COVID-19 while deepening existing inequalities in access to water, food, energy, housing, and healthcare, leaving societies more vulnerable.Water is fundamental to meeting our basic needs. Beyond drinking, it is essential to the production of goods and the provision of services. The COVID-19 crisis has also underscored its indispensable role in maintaining hygiene and preventing the spread of viruses. Yet more than half of the world’s population lacks access to water and sanitation services. Without addressing this gap, the global response to COVID-19 cannot be fully effective. Breaking the cycle in which the water crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic reinforce one another requires identifying the barriers that prevent communities around the world from accessing water and developing solutions that address them.